“I’ll watch out—–­never you fear, old man.”

“Then here we go.”

Tad crept silently away, hugging the base of the rocks so that it would have been difficult for one at the top to have seen him at all Ned, obeying his instructions, found a canyon up which he crawled, neither boy making a sound.  They had agreed upon the two-shot signal to call each other, three shots being a warning to the rest of their party that they were in need of assistance.

Neither lad saw or heard anything of a disturbing nature on his way out.  Ned found no difficulty in making his way into the range of mountains, but as he proceeded and found no one there he grew more bold.  Not that he was particularly careless, but he unconsciously relaxed a little of his former caution.

In the meantime Tad Butler had crept on past the place where the party had first planned to go into camp.  Not a sign of a human being greeted Tad’s watchful eyes.  The lad climbed the side of the rocks, keeping his body hidden in the foliage as much as possible.  He had got about half way up when he paused to take a look over the plain beneath him.  The Pony Rider Boy could faintly make out the place where his companions were in camp awaiting the result of his mission.

“I believe there’s Chunky standing on that rise,” muttered Tad.  “Yes it must be Chunky.  I’ll bet the professor doesn’t know the boy is out there.  Chunky evidently is getting anxious about us.”

Bang!

The shot sounded some distance to the eastward of where Tad was secreted.  Instinctively the lad glanced toward the camp again.  Stacy Brown no longer was to be seen.  Tad Butler could not repress a laugh.  He had a pretty clear idea as to what had caused Chunky’s sudden disappearance.  It did not occur to him that possibly Stacy had been bit.  As a matter of fact the unknown marksman’s bullet had grazed the head of the fat boy, instilling in that young gentleman a more thorough respect for the mountaineer’s marksmanship.

But now Tad’s mind turned to the object of his visit to the mountain range.  He was there looking for the man who had fired the shot.  Ned Rector had heard the shot also.  Both boys were making their way toward the spot whence the shot had seemed to come.  Ned had located the sound much nearer than had Tad.  The latter struck off in a southeasterly direction which carried him still farther into the hills.  He had reasoned that the shooter was occupying a high point of vantage somewhere farther in, whence he was taking pot shots at the camp of the Pony Rider Boys.  In this Tad was mistaken.  The mountaineer was much nearer the plains than Tad thought.

Ned started on a trot immediately after having heard the shot.

“I’ve got him this time!” exulted Rector.  “I’ve got a chance to show the fellows what sort of a trailer I am.  They don’t think I’m any good, except Tad, and he knows better.”